Freight Facts and Figures 2010

Tables 5-9 and 5-9M. Combination Truck Fuel Consumption and Travel: 1980-2008

In contrast to single-unit trucks, miles per gallon by combination trucks (based on total travel and fuel consumption) increased by only 2 percent over the past 28 years. During the same period, vehicle miles traveled more than doubled, resulting in a doubling of gallons of fuel consumed.

Table 5-9 (standard units)

Table in Excel format | Historical data

	1980	1990	2000	2007	2008
Number registered (thousands)	1,417	1,709	2,097	2,221	2,216
Vehicle miles traveled (millions)	68,678	94,341	135,020	(R) 145,046	143,507
Fuel consumed (million gallons)	13,037	16,133	25,666	(R) 28,545	26,814
Average miles traveled per vehicle	48,472	55,206	64,399	65,307	64,764
Average miles traveled per gallon	5.3	5.8	5.3	5.1	5.4
Average fuel consumed per vehicle (gallons)	9,201	9,441	12,241	(R) 12,853	12,101

Key: R = revised.

Source:

U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration, Highway Statistics (Washington, DC: annual issues), table VM-1 and similar tables in earlier editions, available at www.fhwa.dot.gov/policyinformation/statistics/2008/ as of April 25, 2010.

Table 5-9M (metric units)

Table in Excel format | Historical data

	1980	1990	2000	2007	2008
Number registered (thousands)	1,417	1,709	2,097	2,221	2,216
Vehicle kilometers traveled (millions)	110,521	151,820	217,284	(R) 233,418	230,941
Fuel consumed (million liters)	49,345	61,064	97,145	(R) 108,043	101,493
Average kilometers traveled per vehicle	78,004	88,841	103,635	(R) 105,096	104,222
Average kilometers traveled per liter	2.2	2.5	2.2	2.2	2.3
Average fuel consumed per vehicle (liters)	34,827	35,733	46,334	(R) 48,646	45,803

Key: R = revised.

Notes:

1 kilometer = 0.6214 miles; 1 liter = 0.2642 gallons.

Source:

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